


The Mystery of the Gold Ribbon

by Cosmic_Biscuit



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Alternate Universe, Creepy, Gen, Halloween, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-31
Updated: 2012-10-31
Packaged: 2017-11-17 11:46:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/551205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmic_Biscuit/pseuds/Cosmic_Biscuit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've been friends ever since the day they were born, but there's just one little thing that keeps coming between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mystery of the Gold Ribbon

Once upon a time, two pretty little princesses were born on the same day. One had hair that shone like gold, the other had hair as delicately pink as a flower’s petals. Despite being of separate royal families, they met on the day of their birth, as the queen mothers were very good friends.

The princess with hair of flower petals already had such long hair that it could be tied with pretty red ribbons that sparkled in the sunlight like rubies, making her giggle in the crib.

The other princess’ curls were too short to tie. Instead, tied around her neck, was a ribbon of gold that matched her hair.

The pair grew up together, and as they gained more and more curiosity about the world around them, the princess with hair of flower petals noticed something strange about her dear friend. Though her own ribbons were often changed, and she wore red, white, or pink depending on her clothes, the princess with the hair of gold never untied her ribbon, even when they snuck into one of their mothers’ rooms to play dress up.

“Can’t tell you right now, my dear,” the princess with the hair of gold told her when she asked about it.

“Hey, no fair! Sisters aren’t supposed to keep secrets!” the princess with the hair of flower petals sulked.

Her friend simply booped her on the nose and gave her one of her patient smiles. “I’ll tell you when the time is right.”

“When will the time be right?”

“You’ll see.”

=

As they grew older, the princess with hair of flower petals saw less and less of her dear friend. The neighboring kingdom had not fared as well through the winters as her own families did, and there was talk of pockets of rebellion popping up.

The pretty little princess worried about her friend, and wrote her letters as often as she could.

Once, after several weeks with no answer, she grew impulsive. Scrawled at the bottom of her next letter was “Will you tell me the secret of the ribbon now?”

Days went by with no reply, then, as she was in the gardens with one of her tutors, a maid came with a letter. The princess with hair of flower petals eagerly opened it in hopes that her friend had much to tell her-

-but it only contained two words. 

“Not yet.”

=

In a way, of sorts, it became a game. A very one-sided game, which disappointed the princess with hair of flower petals, for she wished to know how her dear friend was actually doing. But all she ever received was the ever enigmatic answer to her query of the ribbon: “Not yet.”

Her desire only grew more painful when the borders between their families’ kingdoms was closed.

At this, she went and sought aid from the mages and their apprentices who toiled away at their studies. All turned her away, despite her position, but as she was beginning to despair, one apprentice with long hair as black as a raven’s wing came to her.

“I am not very good at the complicated spells yet,” she said in a voice so soft the princess had to lean in to hear. And was she blushing? “But I will give you any assistance I can.”

Not caring of the ability level, only that someone was willing to help, the princess with hair of flower petals threw her arms about her new friend and hugged her tightly.

And so they set to work.

=

Winter had come again when the apprentice with hair like the raven’s wing finally succeeded in opening a viewing portal into the palace of the next kingdom. And looking inside it, the princess with hair of flower petals gasped in alarm, for her very dear friend looked very ill indeed, confined to a bed with thick covers.

“Can you find out what’s wrong with her?” she pleaded of the apprentice.

Her companion bit her lip, then dug into another book, searching through spells with practiced speed. She finally laid it down in front of the portal, and reached out to pull a ‘piece’ of the glowing window out to press into the words on the page so she could read the glowing runes that resulted.

“It is poison,” the apprentice with raven-wing hair finally said softly. “Poison of a highly magical sort. It is very slow, but I- I do not know how to stop it.”

The princess with hair of flower petals stared into the portal at her friend, so pale and thin and unlike the ever-patient sister who had teased her and guided her through so much of their childhood. “Then… then can I at least go see her? I know it is so much to ask of you, but I must.”

“You will be in danger if you are discovered,” the apprentice pointed out with some alarm.

“I know, but I can’t make her go through this misery alone. Please?”

The apprentice wavered, staring into her books, then relented and nodded. “All right. But I’m coming with you,” she said, with stronger resolve than the princess with hair of flower petals had ever heard in her voice before.

Relieved and grateful, she smiled brilliantly and hugged the apprentice, as she had done many times before by that point. “Thank you!”

=

The bedroom was quiet and still when they arrived, the rasp of the sleeping princess’ labored breathing the only sound to be heard. Fighting back tears, the princess with hair of flower petals went to her dear friend and sat beside the bed, reaching out to take a cold, thin hand.

Long eyelashes fluttered, then the princess with hair of gold weakly opened her eyes. “Ah- what are you doing here, my dear? It isn’t safe.”

“I know, but I don’t care. Is there no one who can save you, sister? Why have you been left like this?”

“That… would be too long a story to tell, my dear. I didn’t wish to worry you like thi-” The princess with hair of gold cut off with a painful cough, and her friend held her hand tighter. When she recovered, she noticed the apprentice nervously keeping watch. “Who is this?”

“She is also a dear friend, sister. Had it not been for her, I never would have been able to come see you.”

“Good… that’s good.” the princess with hair of gold said with a soft, sad smile. “It makes me glad to know you are not alone.” She coughed again, the force of it making her sit up for a moment, then she fell back amongst the pillows once more. Lifting her hand from her friend’s hold, the princess with hair of gold gently booped the nose of the princess with the hair of flower petals. “My dear… it is time.”

The princess with the hair of flower petals blinked in surprise. “Time… time about the ribbon?”

“Yes. It is _my_ time, and so you may take the ribbon off and see my secret.”

Something about the way her dear friend said that made the princess with hair of flower petals uneasy. But at the same time, there was a little flutter of anticipation in her stomach as she very carefully untied the elaborate bow.

Slowly, silently, the ribbon slid away from the throat of the princess with the hair of gold. And as soon as it was no longer touching her throat at all-

- _her head fell off._

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a Halloween request, with apologies to Alvin Schwartz.


End file.
